Gardening for Beneficial Beesin Mississippi

As a result of the rise in pollinator health awareness,

more people are wanting to help bees, but not necessarily

keep them. If you fall into this category and you have a bit of

a green thumb, you can help our honey-making friends and

their native bee cousins by growing a pollinator garden that

is rich in bee forage. Most home gardens contain at least a

few species of plants that provide high-quality food for bees,

but these gardens may lack the quantity, variety, or seasonal

availability of blooming plants needed to draw large

numbers and abundant species of bees to them. A good

pollinator garden will cater to the foraging preferences and

behavior of bees, rather than the aesthetic preference of the

homeowner—although both needs can be simultaneously

and beautifully met with thoughtful planning and an

understanding of a few bee-ssential elements.

Flower Color MattersContrary to what many people think, honey bees

cannot see colors in the red range very well and seldom

forage on red flowers unless the flowers feature nectar

guides. Nevertheless, their range of color perception is

quite broad—nearly equivalent to a human’s—spanning

from ultraviolet to yellow-orange. They are most attracted

to white, blue, and violet flowers, which can be grouped

together without interfering with an individual bee’s habit

of visiting similar-looking flowers in a patch. This behavior

is called “flower constancy,” and it is the honey bee’s way of

maximizing foraging efficiency. Flower choice is primarily

dependent on flower odor and color and secondarily

on flower shape. The flower constancy behavior is most

pronounced in honey bees but is also present in bumblebees.

Solitary bees do not exhibit flower constancy, but they tend

to forage on a narrower range of plant species.

Flower Shape MattersThe length of a bee’s tongue determines what sort

of flowers it can forage on, and bee tongue lengths vary

widely from one species to the next. Short-tongued

bees (tongue less than 3 mm long), which include the

primitive, near-hairless cellophane bees and the yellow-

faced bees, are limited to flowers with shallow nectaries,

like sunflowers, daisies, and plants in the carrot family.

Honey bees fall into the mid-length tongue category

(up to 8 mm) and can forage on a wide range of flower

shapes and sizes (Figure 1). When they encounter

nectaries that are too deep to reach, they are known to

“nectar rob,” or access the nectary through a hole bored

in the corolla or a space between petals. Bumblebees

comprise the “long-tongued” group (9-20 mm), although

there are a few short-tongued bumblebees as well.

You can find bumblebees and carpenter bees sipping

nectar from flowers with long, tubular corollas (e.g.,

penstemmon, certain salvias, and trumpet creeper) that

seem to attract few other species of bees.

Figure 1. Honey bee on coral honeysuckle.

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Plant in Large GroupingsBecause of their “flower constancy” behavior, honey

bees and other social bees usually forage within a patch

of the same species of plant. Foraging honey bees learn

to identify a productive food plant by the scent and

shape of its flowers. The flowers are initially discovered

by “scout bees,” which take foraging flights early in the

day and share the general location of productive plants

with their hive mates in a round or waggle dance.

Each scout bee may find a different productive flower

species, so nestmates attending a scout’s dance will

learn only the flower that scout visited. Once a forager

learns to target a particular flower species, it is very

difficult for her to switch to another during the course

of a day. For this reason, it is more beneficial to honey

bees if you plant individual species of flowers in large

groups or drifts. If this is not desired or feasible, plant

small groups of the same species throughout the garden

bed, spaced no more than a few yards apart, so bees can

easily “hop” from one group to the next.

Plant for Successive BloomingIn a typical Mississippi year, honey bee brood-

rearing lasts from February to late October; this is also

when the heaviest foraging occurs. Flowering trees

and shrubs provide the bulk of early-season forage,

so consider incorporating a few into your landscape.

Nectar and pollen flow declines during the hottest

months of the year. Therefore, brood-rearing also slows

during summer. Be prepared with heat-loving plants,

such as basil, to provide forage during the dearth. Many

summer flowering perennials will re-bloom for months

if deadheaded or pruned. Autumn is a great time for

native plants to take the stage, since many of the late-

season Mississippi natives are excellent bee plants.

Provide a Source of WaterAlthough nectar contains up to 80 percent water,

honey bees require a source of pure water to dissolve

crystallized honey, dilute the food for their larvae, cool

the hive, and, of course, hydrate themselves. There is

actually a specific group of foragers within a honey

bee colony that perform the duty of water collection

for the hive, aptly called water foragers. Honey bees

use a lot of water for evaporative cooling of their hive

during the hot summer months, so it is imperative that

a water source be readily available during drought

periods. A running water feature—such as a fountain

or drip hose—is preferable to stagnant bird baths, and

also discourages mosquitoes from laying eggs in the

water (Figure 2). Bees do not like to get their feet wet,

so provide a dry surface for them to alight on (e.g.,

river rocks in the bottom of a fountain) if there is no

convenient place for them to stand and drink.

Figure 2. A granite low-flow fountain provides water in our Cottage Pollina-tor Garden at the MSU Clay Lyle Entomology building.

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Native Pollinator HousingNative bees and wasps will readily inhabit man-

made “bee hotels” and produce successive generations

of pollinators for your garden (Figure 3). These hotels

are fun and simple to make using scrap materials and

natural resources. They can be virtually any shape or

size, as long as the materials you are using resemble

natural bee and wasp domiciles. Bees and wasps will

nest in a variety of substrates, including wood blocks

with holes drilled in them, bamboo straws, or mud-

packed bricks. You can find instructions on how to

prepare wooden native bee houses at www.pollinator.

org. Placement of bee hotels is important; in general,

they should be facing south or southeast, be at least

3 feet off the ground, and have a roof or cover that

overhangs the openings.

HerbsMost of the herbs

commonly grown in

Mississippi are good

forage plants for honey

bees, possibly because

so many of them share

the Mediterranean

heritage of the Italian

honey bee, Apis

mellifera ligustica, which

is the most abundant

race of honey bee in North America (Figure 4). In

general, culinary herbs prefer well-drained soils and

full sun, while many medicinal herbs (e.g., St. John’s

wort, lemon balm) can tolerate moist soil and part

shade. A large percentage of the herbs featured in the

MSU Clay Lyle Pollinator Garden are culinary herbs.

A few honey bee favorites are rosemary, thyme, basil,

and oregano. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) blooms

in early spring through late fall in the Southeast,

and both the upright and prostrate varieties provide

abundant nectar to pollinators. Flower color varies

from near-white to an intense bluish-purple. Honey

produced from rosemary nectar carries the strong

flavor of the plant’s leaves. Thyme (Thymus spp.) fares

quite well in the heat of Mississippi summer and

begins blooming in late spring. The tiny flowers are

either pink or white and very dense, even on a small

plant. Once established, thyme will grow quickly

in a self-contained mound or in a creeping fashion,

depending on the variety. Its low-profile growth habit

makes it a wonderful filler plant. Expect some die-

back during wet winters. There are many varieties of

fragrant, culinary basil (Ocimum basilicum) that thrive

in the hot months of late summer. These plants flower

profusely when little else is blooming, sending up

tall pink or white spikes that are irresistible to honey

bees. This is a must-have plant for bee gardens in the

South, but be aware that it is a self-seeding annual that

Figure 3. A bee wall in-the-making behind our native plant garden at the MSU Clay Lyle Entomology building.

Figure 4. Honey bee on lavender.

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will spread readily. Oregano and marjoram (Oregano

vulgare; O. marjorana) begin blooming in late spring or

early summer and will flower for months if you keep

the plants fairly compact. When older plants begin to

spread laterally, you may need to cut them back quite

severely to keep them blooming.

Toxic PlantsSouthern beekeepers wince at the mention of

rhododendrons, azaleas, and Carolina jessamine planted

for bee forage (Figure 5). While these plants do extremely

well in Mississippi’s climate and do provide pollen and

nectar, the nectar is quite toxic to honey bees. Other plants,

such as angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia spp.), oleander, and

bog rosemary (Andromeda spp.) are poisonous to honey

bees and humans alike, and should definitely be excluded

from the garden if you are keeping a hive for honey

production. Honey made from toxic digitalis (foxglove)

is quite safe for human consumption, and the plant is

actually quite profitable to bees.

Table 1. Popular herbs for honey bees.

Common Name Scientific Name Description

Allium (onion, chives, garlic) Allium spp. Perennial. Both culinary and wild varieties are attractive to honey bees.

Anise Hyssop Agastache foeniculum Perennial. Tall spikes add vertical interest and provide ample nectar to many species of bees.

Basil Ocimum basilicum Self-seeding annual. Comes in many varieties that are easy to find in Mississippi nurseries.

Comfrey Symphytum spp. Perennial. Related to Borage, but fares better in the South. Leaves are rich in nitrogen and potassium and can be used as fertilizer. Especially attractive to bumblebees.

Lavender Lavandula spp.Perennial. Susceptible to root rot, but established plants can recover from excess moisture. Plant in well-draining mounds or containers. Look for varieties adapted to the South, such as L. x intermedia ‘Phenomenal’.

Oregano Origanum vulgare

Perennial. Like many members of the mint family, this herb is tenacious and will need frequent pruning. Pink or purple flowers shoot up on vertical spikes around early sum-mer and are exceptionally attractive to honey bees (as are most of the mints). Foliage is either prostrate or mounding.

Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis Perennial. Small, woody shrub. Extremely low-maintenance and can tolerate a variety of soils. Blooms best in full sun.

Sage Salvia officinalis Perennial. Evergreen with violet flowers in summer. Attracts a wide variety of pollina-tors. Needs well-drained soil and long dry periods between watering.

Thyme Thymus vulgarisPerennial. There are many varieties of this culinary species. It is summer-blooming, has light pink flowers, and has a mounding growth habit. The dark pink flowers of creeping thyme (e.g., T. serpyllum) are also attractive to bees.

Figure 5. Honey bees readily forage on toxic Carolina jessamine flowers when it blooms in late winter.

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Native PlantsThe term “native” refers to a plant that originated

in the United States of America, but can also refer to

regional natives (i.e., Southeast versus Northwest).

There are two major advantages to planting regional

native flowering plants: 1) they are well-adapted to

your climate and soil type; and 2) native pollinators are

perfectly adapted to them. As the popularity of native

plants in home gardens has been on the increase, it is

becoming much easier to find nursery-grown plants

that are selected for more compact growth habits or

longer-blooming, larger flowers. Check out www.

mississippinativeplantsociety.org for information

on locating native plant suppliers. Native plants

make a very attractive garden when planted in dense

groupings (Figure 6). Keep in mind that even nursery-

grown native plants retain their high reproductivity

and will spread quite readily in the garden.

Nonnative PlantsWhen you consider that honey bees have an Asiatic

ancestry, it is no surprise that they are well-adapted to

floral species from the subtropical regions of the eastern

hemisphere. As the honey bee became naturalized in

Europe, it coadapted with flowers in that region. Here

in the U.S., there are several available garden plants

and blooming shrubs originating in Europe or Asia that

grow well in Mississippi and provide ample forage for

honey and native bees alike. A few of the more common

ones are listed in Table 2. With the exception of

Elaeagnus, the nonnatives listed are not invasive and will

not take over your garden or landscape. The silverberry

bush and the winter honeysuckle are best used as a

living fence or perimeter border. Although they both

require regular pruning, the abundance of bee forage

these sprawling hedges provide in early winter (not to

mention the heavenly fragrance!) makes them valuable

bee forage plants.

Figure 6. Native Pollinator Garden in June.

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Table 2. Native pollinator plants for Mississippi gardens, most of which are featured in the Clay Lyle Native Pollinator garden.

Common Name Scientific Name Description

American Holly Ilex opaca Evergreen shrub/tree. Honey bees will cover the fragrant blossoms, which are excellent sources of pollen and nectar. Blooms in mid-spring.

Anise Hyssop Agastache foeniculum Herbacious perennial. Spreads readily. Tall, bushy growth habit. Purplish spikes bloom in late sum-mer, early fall.

Aster Symphytotrichum spp.Aster spp.

Perennial. Native asters tend to have white or purple flowers and are heavy fall bloomers. They are a major nectar source for honey bees in the fall. Mounding varieties, such as A. oblongifolius, are particularly attractive as garden plants.

Blazingstar Liatris spp. Perennial. Tall pink or purple flower spikes are attractive to bees and butterflies. They add vertical interest to a garden and retain their color when cut and dried.

Blue Mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum

Perennial. This blue- to purple-flowering plant grows in tight clusters and prefers moist soil. In most parts of the state, it blooms in late summer and tolerates heat well, though leaves will droop and curl when too dry. Mistflower can also be grown in part shade, and it provides many butterflies, native bees, and honey bees with nectar.

Coneflower, OrangeConeflower, YellowConeflower, Purple

Rudbeckia fulgidaRatibida pinnataEchinacea purpurea

Perennial. Many native bees and butterflies flock to these prairie flowers for nectar and pollen. They bloom in late summer and reseed readily. The seed heads, if left intact, attract backyard birds in winter.

Coreopsis Coreopsis spp. Tender perennial. Hardy in North Mississippi and easy to propagate by seed. Native species and varieties are yellow.

Gaura Gaura lindheimeriPerennial. Showy bloomer with sprawling habit. Native variety is white-flowering; cultivars are pink, white, or some combination. Also called “wandflower” or “whirling butterflies.” Attracts a wide vari-ety of pollinators, including honey bees.

Golden Alexander Zizia aurea

Perennial. This member of the carrot family is a host plant for black swallowtail larvae. Many short-tongued native bees (think small, metallic species) are attracted to this pollen- and nectar-producing plant, in addition to honey bees. It is evergreen in the southern parts of Mississippi, and it blooms consistently during the growing season.

Goldenrod Solidago spp.Perennial. There are several species of this plant that vary mostly in height. Goldenrod is a major source of nectar for honey bees in the fall. Goldenrod is often mistakenly blamed for seasonal aller-gies to ragweed.

Ironweed Vernonia fasciculata Perennial. Tall plants with striking reddish-purple feathery flowers that attract many late-season pollina-tors. Foliage is sparse, so it pairs well with mounding plants.

Oak Leaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia Deciduous shrub. Native to the southest U.S. and is an excellent provider of nectar and pollen. Blooms in mid- to late spring.

Ohio Spiderwort Tradescantia ohiensis Perennial. Also known as “dayflower,” this plant blooms in the morning and provides food for many native bees in addition to honey bees.

Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica Perennial. Does well in shade and part shade. Blooms in early spring.

Wild Bergamot Monarda spp.Perennial. Can tolerate partial shade. Blooms during the heat of the summer in sprays of purple, pink, or white tubular flowers. The red-flowered M. didyma is prone to powdery mildew in Mississippi, but heavy pruning restores growth of healthy foliage.

Yarrow Achillea millefolium Perennial. This feathery, fragrant carrot relative now comes in many colors, though the native is white. It blooms fairly early in Mississippi and is exceptionally hardy.

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Table 3. Nonnative pollinator plants for seasonal forage.

Common Name Scientific Name Description

Bluebeard Caryopteris Deciduous shrub. Heat tolerant to Zone 8. Covered with fragrant flowers in late summer that are highly attractive to bees.

Lenten Rose Helleborus spp. Evergreen perennial. Good food source for bees in winter.

Hosta Hosta spp. Honey bees access the nectary through holes bored by carpenter bees, similar to blueberries.

Pincushion Flower Scabiosa japonicaPerennial. Lace-like foliage forms small mounds that bloom profusely from late spring and into the fall. Flowers are lavender-blue and large, but stalks are fairly short and wiry. It is exceptionally hardy but does not like wet feet.

Quince Chaenomeles japonica Deciduous shrub. Excellent bee plant. Blooms in late winter/early spring. Flower colors range from white to soft peach to dark pink. Fruits are edible.

Russian Sage Perovskia atriplicifolia Perennial. Ever-blooming in Zones 8–9. Blue-purple flowers erupt from showy, long panicles of gray foliage. Carpenter, bumble, and honey bees are very attracted to this long-blooming shrub.

Silverberry Elaeagnus spp. Evergreen shrub. Fragrant white blooms will be covered in honey bees in winter. Fruits of several spe-cies are edible.

Snowflakes Leucojum vernum Perennial bulb. Late-winter/early-spring blooming shade plant. Similar to snowdrops, but more adapted to the South.

Winter Honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima Deciduous shrub. Fragrant white flowers from January to March provide ample honey and bumblebee forage. Best used as a hedge.

A Few Tips• Some plants resemble good forage plants but

produce nothing for honey bees. Forsythia is a

good example. This early-blooming shrub can be

confused with winter jasmine (Jasmine nudiflorum),

which is a good provider of both pollen and nectar

and blooms around the same time.

• If you must use pesticides or herbicides in your

garden, look for products with low toxicity to

bees; the label will contain this information.

Apply in the evening after foragers have

gone back to the hive. Natural predators of

aphids and mealybugs, such as syrphid flies,

lacewings, and lady beetles show up when the

pest numbers get high, so consider letting them

do the work of pest control.

• Several species of native bees will nest in dead

twigs and hollow-stemmed plants in your

garden, so hold off the garden cleanup until

spring. Birds also appreciate the seed heads of

plants like Echinacea and Liatris.

Publication 2976 (POD-06-19)

By Audrey B. Sheridan, Extension/Research Associate II, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology. Original artwork by Au-drey B. Sheridan.

Copyright 2019 by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved. This publication may be copied and distributed without alteration for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Produced by Agricultural Communications.

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Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. GARY B. JACKSON, Director